MEDIA RELEASE 19 January 2000 In partnership with Justice Action, the Nimbin HEMP Embassy is demanding an amnesty for all the prisoners of the War on Drug Users before the Sydney Olympic Games begin in September. "In this time of escalating drugs deaths and rising prisoner numbers, the NSW Government's drug law reform program is too slow and too timid," said Graeme Dunstan, Operations Manager for the HEMP Embassy. In a letter (attached) to the John Della Bosca, NSW Special Minister of State and Assistant Treasurer, Graeme Dunstan, the HEMP Embassy Operations Manager, has called for an end of the War on Drug Users and amnesty for all the prisoners. Mr Dunstan noted that the NSW Government was still happy to describe itself "as tough on drugs" and that meant vigorously pursuing drug prohibition policies that have proven to be a costly failure and a social disaster. The HEMP Embassy plans to put the Cannabus on the road again during July and August, visit every jail in NSW and count the prisoners of the War on Drug Users. The Cannabus is a colourfully painted 1964 Leyland Viking bus which the HEMP Embassy took to the NSW Drug Policy in June last year. The tour will be part drug law reform roadshow and part media circus, which, because of the global nature of the US-driven War on Drugs, and is expected to attract global media attention. "With the witness of the world we will listen to the stories of injustice and suffering created by these bad laws and make visible the failure of our political leadership in this time of escalating drug deaths and great social challenge," Mr Dunstan said. The tour will arrive in Sydney on the weekend of 19 & 20 August for the conduct of the Sydney 2000 HEMP Olympix, a couple of days of fun, games and drug law reform action at a venue yet to be announced. The HEMP Embassy has invited the NSW Special Minister of State, John Della Bosca, to discuss the terms of the amnesty and is awaiting a response. A reward - an ounce of bush buds and ten tickets to the Nimbin 2000 "Let It Grow" Mardi Grass - has been offered by the Nimbin HEMP Embassy for information leading to the recovery of the Cannabus. Further Information Graeme Dunstan 02 6689 0326/0412 609 373 http://www.nrg.com.au/~graeme Brett Collins, Justice Action 02 9281 5100 http://www.justiceaction.org.au John Della Bosca 02 9228 4777 LETTER To JOHN DELLA BOSCA 19 January 2000 The Honourable John Della Bosca MLC NSW Special Minister of State and Assistant Treasurer Level 33, Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place, SYDNEY 2000 Dear Minister, Thank you for your letter of 12 November. The HEMP Embassy supports and affirms the changes in drug policy implemented since the NSW Drug Summit, but the pace and scope of your government's drug law reform program is too slow and too timid. We note that your government is still happy to claim in its media releases that it is "tough on drugs". Being tough on drugs means vigorously pursuing prohibition policies that have proven a costly failure and a social disaster. In the reality of policing and courts, being tough on drugs means being tough on drug users, harassing and jailing people for victimless crimes and making already miserable lives more miserable. Being tough on drugs has created more suffering than it set out to prevent. We want to end the War on Drug Users in 2000. We want the NSW government to grant an amnesty for all the prisoners of the drug war before the Sydney Olympic Games begin in September. How many prisoners is that, you ask? You will soon find out because, in collaboration with the prisoners, their families and the Prisoners Action Group, we intend to count them. In partnership with Justice Action, we plan to put the Cannabus on the road again and go to every jail in NSW. The tour will be part drug law reform roadshow and part media circus, which, because of the global nature of the US-driven War on Drugs, will attract global media attention. With the witness of the world we will listen to the stories of injustice and suffering created by these bad laws and make visible the failure of our political leadership in this time of escalating drug deaths and great social challenge. We intend to arrive in Sydney for the weekend 19 and 20 August and to conduct the Sydney 2000 HEMP Olympix, a fun day or two of games and cannabis law reform advocacy, at a venue yet to be announced. We would be pleased to discuss the terms of the amnesty with you. Please ring me on 6689 0326 02 or 0412 609 373 if you wish to make direct contact. Yours sincerely, Graeme Dunstan Operations Manager http://www.nrg.com.au/~graeme Nimbin HEMP Embassy Cullen Street Nimbin Australia 2480 tel/fax 02 6689 1842 http://www.nrg.com.au/~hemp -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
